“Current rules of the Bar Council of India impose restrictions on maintaining a web page and do not permit lawyers to provide information concerning their areas of practice. Khaitan & Co is therefore constrained from providing any further information on this web page.”

The new proposals will allow firms to include more detailed information on their websites from March 2014.

India has 1.2 million lawyers – along with the United States, the country with the most lawyers in the world.

We know little about most Indian firms – mainly the small, elite firms that work with the leading UK and US international outfits.

Sure, many of the 1.2 million lawyers are one-man bands in small villages, but everyone would be better served if we knew more about the richness and variety on offer in the Indian legal market.

On a personal note, I have a special interest in India. My family were in the British Army and moved to India at the start of colonial period. They stayed on for generations, even after Independence. My mother was born in India, and her family live there. I have spent a lot of time in the country throughout my life.

The rise of India is one of the great stories of our age, and it would be good to see the authorities ease up on their protectionist stance so Indian lawyers and law firms can make themselves known to the world.